Compost collection device

Abstract

A compost collection device including: a waste collection bin; and a removable lid for the bin, the lid including: a first seal disposed for circumferentially sealing between the lid and a top rim of the bin; a circular opening in the lid; a rotatable sphere have a waste material pocket therein, the sphere being disposed in the lid; a second seal disposed between the sphere and the opening in the lid, for circumferentially sealing between the sphere and the opening in the lid; a handle attached to the sphere for rotating the rotatable sphere to deposit waste materials into the bin; a retaining lid having an opening therein for depositing waste materials into the pocket in the sphere; and a third seal disposed between the retaining lid and the sphere adjacent the opening in the retaining lid, for sealing between the sphere and the opening in the retaining lid.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A compost collection device comprising:
 a waste collection bin; and 
 a removable lid for the waste collection bin, the removable lid comprising:
 a first seal disposed between the removable lid and a top rim of the waste collection bin, the first seal for circumferentially sealing between the removable lid and the top rim of the waste collection bin; 
 a circular opening in the removable lid; 
 a rotatable sphere disposed in the circular opening in the removable lid, the rotatable sphere having a waste material pocket disposed therein; 
 a second seal disposed between the rotatable sphere and the circular opening in the removable lid, the second seal for circumferentially sealing between the rotatable sphere and the circular opening in the removable lid; 
 a handle attached to the rotatable sphere for rotating the rotatable sphere to deposit waste materials from the waste material pocket into the waste collection bin; 
 a retaining lid having an opening therein for depositing waste materials into the waste material pocket in the rotatable sphere; and 
 a third seal disposed between the retaining lid and the rotatable sphere adjacent the opening in the retaining lid, the third seal for circumferentially sealing between the rotatable sphere and the opening in the retaining lid. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The compost collection device of  claim 1 , further comprising a waste collection bag for insertion into the waste collection bin. 
     
     
       3. The compost collection device of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover for covering the waste collection bin when the removable lid is removed from the waste collection bin. 
     
     
       4. The compost collection device of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is between the retaining lid and the removable lid. 
     
     
       5. The compost collection device of  claim 1 , wherein the retaining lid is fixedly engaged with the removable lid with the rotatable sphere disposed between the removable lid and the retaining lid. 
     
     
       6. The compost collection device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable sphere is rotatable from a waste collection position to a waste deposit position through a rotation angle ranging from about 140 to about 180 degrees. 
     
     
       7. The compost collection device of  claim 1 , wherein the first seal, the second seal, and the third seal are comprised of resilient O-ring materials. 
     
     
       8. A method for collecting waste materials for a compost pile comprising the steps of:
 (i) providing a compost collection device that includes:
 a) a waste collection bin; and 
 b) a removable lid for the waste collection bin, the removable lid comprising:
 (1) a first seal disposed between the removable lid and a top rim of the waste collection bin, the first seal for circumferentially sealing between the removable lid and the top rim of the waste collection bin; 
 (2) a circular opening in the removable lid; 
 (3) a rotatable sphere disposed in the circular opening in the removable lid, the rotatable sphere having a waste material pocket disposed therein; 
 (4) a second seal disposed between the rotatable sphere and the circular opening in the removable lid, the second seal for circumferentially sealing between the rotatable sphere and the circular opening in the removable lid; 
 (5) a handle attached to the rotatable sphere for rotating the rotatable sphere to deposit waste materials from the waste material pocket into the waste collection bin; 
 (6) a retaining lid having an opening therein for depositing waste materials into the waste material pocket in the rotatable sphere; and 
 (7) a third seal disposed between the retaining lid and the rotatable sphere adjacent the opening in the retaining lid, the third seal for circumferentially sealing between the rotatable sphere and the opening in the retaining lid; 
 
 (c) waste materials for deposit into the waste collection bin; 
 
 (ii) inserting waste materials into the waste material pocket in the rotatable sphere; 
 (iii) rotating the rotatable sphere from a waste collection position through an angle ranging from about 140 to about 180 degrees to a waste deposit position, whereby substantially all of the waste materials in the waste material pocket of the rotatable sphere fall into the waste collection bin; and 
 (iv) rotating the rotatable sphere back to the waste deposit position to seal the waste collection bin from odor release to the atmosphere. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the compost collection device includes a waste collection bag, further comprising inserting the waste collection bag into the waste collection bin before step (ii). 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising repeating steps (ii)-(iv) until the waste collection bin is full. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising (v) removing removable lid from the collection bin and covering the waste collection bin with a cover. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising repeating steps (ii)-(iv) until the waste collection bag is full. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising (v) removing the waste collection bag from the waste collection bin. 
     
     
       14. A compost collection device comprising:
 a waste collection bin; and 
 a removable lid for the waste collection bin, the removable lid comprising:
 a circular opening in the removable lid; 
 a vertical lip positioned around the circular opening, the vertical lip having at least two vertical lip grooves; 
 a retaining lid positioned over the circular opening, the retaining lid having a dome-like spherical shell structure and at least two retaining lid grooves, each retaining lid groove corresponding to a vertical lip groove to form a shaft stub tunnel; 
 a rotatable sphere disposed at least partially in the retaining lid and in the circular opening in the removable lid, the rotatable sphere having a waste material pocket disposed therein; 
 a first seal disposed between the rotatable sphere and the circular opening in the removable lid, the first seal for circumferentially sealing between the rotatable sphere and the circular opening in the removable lid; 
 the retaining lid having an opening therein for depositing waste materials into the waste material pocket in the rotatable sphere; 
 a first shaft stub and a second shaft stub positioned on opposite sides of the rotatable sphere, each shaft stub positioned through a shaft stub tunnel; 
 a handle attached to the rotatable sphere by the first shaft stub and the second shaft stub through a retaining lid groove and a vertical lip groove for rotating the rotatable sphere to deposit waste materials from the waste material pocket into the waste collection bin; and 
 a second seal disposed between the retaining lid and the rotatable sphere adjacent the opening in the retaining lid, the second seal for circumferentially sealing between the rotatable sphere and the opening in the retaining lid. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The compost collection device of  claim 14 , wherein the handle is between the retaining lid and the removable lid. 
     
     
       16. The compost collection device of  claim 14 , wherein the retaining lid is fixedly engaged with the removable lid with the rotatable sphere disposed between the removable lid and the retaining lid. 
     
     
       17. The compost collection device of  claim 14 , wherein the rotatable sphere is rotatable from a waste collection position to a waste deposit position through a rotation angle ranging from about 140 to about 180 degrees. 
     
     
       18. The compost collection device of  claim 14 , wherein a grabbable portion of the handle orbitally rotates around an axis between the first shaft stub and the second shaft stub. 
     
     
       19. The compost collection device of  claim 18 , wherein the grabbable portion of the handle is positioned external of the retaining lid and parallel to an axis between the shaft stubs. 
     
     
       20. The compost collection device of  claim 14 , wherein the first seal and the second seal are comprised of resilient O-ring materials.